Henry's High School Headache
by MissScratchCat
Summary: Henry Bolet isn't looking forward to his sophomore year at a preppy boarding school, especially with his obnoxious artist roommate (and his roommate's obsession with girls) until he meets two teenagers who aren't so different from him. Sparks fly, but he isn't sure who is right for him, or if he belongs at at Washington Prep at all. Rated T for now, for some suggestive content.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! This is my first fanfic and I'm really excited! I know this chapter is really short, but if people like I'll make longer chapters. So please, review and if you like it - bear with me! I plan to post new chapters at least once a week.**

Henry frowned. His was almost completely packed, and it made his room look even more depressing than usual. It made it seem as though he was moving out for good, and not just going away to boarding school for a year.

His great-uncle Bruno had sent him to Washington State Prep. School last year, and had apparently liked having Henry off his hands. Now that Henry was fifteen, he was returning for his sophomore year. He had packed all his clothes, hangers, money, and sheets, and not much more than that. In fact, the only thing that had changed about him was the tattoo of a rose vine on his arm. Bruno had said the tattoo was something that a girl would wear, and Henry tried to wear gloves over it from then on.

Bruno knocked on his door, and opened it without waiting for a reply. "You done, Henry? The taxi's here." Henry shrugged. It didn't matter if he left something at home. He could buy it at school, or have Bruno send it to him.

After his things had been loaded, Henry slid down the cushion bench in the back of the taxi, and waited for Bruno to get in. Bruno chuckled. "I'm sorry, Henry, but you know I have things to do today. You can manage on your own, right? It was so easy last year." Henry didn't answer - just stared as Bruno shut the door with a smile.

When Henry got to campus, he didn't care. Didn't care about leaving his boxes on the curb as he got his room assignment. Didn't care that his room was all the way on the fourth floor. He didn't even care about his roommate, an Asian guy who was working on something that looked like a picture. If fact, when Henry walked into his room, he didn't care so much that he lay on the bare mattress and tried to fall asleep.

"Hey, Henry."

Henry opened one eye, and brushed his black hair away so that he could see the person talking to him. His roommate had turned away from his work. Augh. Socializing. "Do I know you?" Henry asked.

"Well, no, not yet. Your name is on the door. And I may have done a little snooping - there's a welcome packet on the desk with your name on it," the roommate said. He seemed to be enjoying himself.

"Oh."

"So it says you're taking Art 201. I am too. I mean - I want to be an artist. And you…" the roommate asked.

"I don't know." Henry just wanted to sleep. If his roommate was going to talk this much all year, he wouldn't get any work done. Not that it mattered. Henry knew he'd fall behind in classes as soon as the first set of tests rolled around.

"Well.. okay. Hey, are you in a bad mood? Or are you like this all the time? Because I just want to be warned." The roommate put his work down and walked across to his side of the dorm, which was already set up with Indie band posters and advertisements for art galleries. An abstract painting of some sort hung above his desk.

"No, sorry. Just a mood. It's.. It's been a long day," Henry said, closing his eyes. He wished his roommate would stop talking to him. Then he remembered - his boxes were still on the curb outside the school. "Shoot."

The roommate seemed interested. "What is it? No - it doesn't matter. You should come to the party tonight. It'll make you feel better."

Henry almost opened his eyes. A party? On move-in day? That didn't even make sense. Or it could be some scheme or secret society. He thought he'd better avoid it. "I don't like parties."

His roommate flung himself to his feet and made an exaggerated 'O' look that Henry was too tired to notice. "You don't like parties? I knew it. You are weird. I mean - I'm weird too. But at least I like parties. I _am _fifteen." There was no response from Henry. "Okay, well," said the roommate, "There'll be girls."

"I don't like girls."

The roommate got pale and messed up his pointy, black hair nervously. "Oh.. you're _that_ kinda weird.. That's okay.. but.. um.. just don't..-"

"I'm not gay."

The roommate let out a sigh of relief. "Then you'll come to the party! Great. You just unpack and then we can leave around seven."

Henry finally opened his eyes. Alright. He'd go to this party. Maybe then, his uncle would regret not keeping on eye on him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, one person favorited my story! This chapter is dedicated to you - my single fan. Lots of dialogue, and too short. I know. I'm sorry! At least it can only get better! **

The party was crowded, and the music was obnoxiously loud. What seemed like the entirety of the student body had crammed into an apartment a little ways off campus. One of the juniors had cousins there, and they were away that week. The junior kid warned everybody not to make a mess, but his warning was drowned out with the sound of bass and inexperienced flirting.

Henry's roommate had shrugged off to a corner, and was surrounded by girls in a matter of seconds.

"Oh my god! Elliot! You said we'd keep in touch but I haven't seen you in, like, forever!" They cried. Henry was surprised. He thought his roommate had been all talk.

Henry had shrugged off to a corner, which had been vacated of girls in a matter of seconds. A feeling of rebellion had settled deep in Henry's stomach. Standing in a corner wasn't rebellious in anyway, just socially awkward. Even Henry felt self-conscious.

Remembering a particularly eventful party last year, Henry wondered if there might be anywhere to get a drink in the house. He didn't even like alcohol. It just seemed like the right thing to do. He was a sophomore now, and sophomores drank.

The apartment was small, and the kitchen was downstairs - open to the party. If anything could have been found earlier that night, it was nowhere to be seen, and the fridge was empty save for some old lettuce and fruit preserves. Henry sighed. He looked silly - a kid in all black staring into a fridge. At that moment, Henry decided to leave. He would have, if it weren't for a pretty voice behind him.

"Looking for anything in particular?"

Henry turned around slowly. The girl talking to him was pretty, with blonde hair cut to her shoulders and big, green eyes. She was dressed up, with a tight golden dress made of sequins, and gold heels. Typical Washington Prep sort of girl.

"No, just, a drink. But there's nothing. So.. Yeah.," Henry said quietly, expecting the girl to leave.

But she didn't leave. "I know where that is. In the basement in here. I just saw. I'm Jane. A sophomore."

"I didn't see you last year."

"No, I.." Jane stammered. "Transferred. From England, actually. You know. With the voice."

For the first time that evening, Henry noticed the bright English accent. "Oh. Okay. Let's go then." He began to weave his way back out through the crowd, and glanced back to make sure Jane was following him. When they got out of the kitchen and near the door to the apartment, Jane said,

"Won't you tell me your name?"

"Henry."

Jane grinned and nodded, and led Henry through the door and out into the hallway that connected the apartment to a long flight of stairs and a door leading outside. They went down the stairs, all the way to an unlocked basement storage room. Sure enough, there were a few bottles of wine in a cardboard box. Most of which had been cracked open on the concrete floor, and emptied.

Henry picked up a bottle of merlot. "How do you…" He thought to himself.

"On the ground. Smash it." Oh god. Henry had thought out loud. It was his worst habit. Not because it was annoying to others, but because it got him into trouble. Henry looked at Jane, and at the bottle, and at the ground.

"Are you having any?" he asked slowly.

Jane giggled. "Of course not!"

"Are you serious?"

"Totally."

"Then.. why.."

"Why not?" Jane didn't seem fazed. "Because classes start tomorrow, silly! And I've got a, well, rigorous schedule. Geez Henry, you're in your own little world if you think the teachers won't notice a hangover." Jane spoke with a smile, and while the words were condescending the intention was not. Henry realized that she was right.

Henry sighed, and put the merlot back in the box. He lifted the box onto his shoulder, and crossed the room with it, before putting it down behind an old couch. "You're right. No one should be drinking." With the box hidden, his roommate was a little less likely to come back to the room wasted, at three in the morning. A little.

Jane stared at Henry, as if she were studying him. She finally nodded a little approval. As they ascended from the basement and reached the door to the streets, she held out her arms for a hug. "I'll see you later?"

It was most certainly a question, and she wanted an answer. "Yeah, if you want too. That is.. yeah." Henry didn't know why, but he liked being around her. Jane was a little creepy, in a good way. In the same good way that Henry was a little creepy.


End file.
